Touré Added As Host of New MSNBC Program ‘The Cycle’

Actually, it’s taking advantage of the fact that host Dylan Rattigan is leaving and has decided to try something new. It’s replacing Rattigan with “The Cycle.” Journalist and outspoken pop culture commentator Touré will be one of the hosts.

Besides Touré, the program will feature conservative commentator S.E. Cupp, author and pundit Touré, Salon writer Steve Kornacki and former Congressional candidate Krystal Ball. All were previously contributors to the network. The show launches on Monday at 3 PM, according to the Huffington Post.

The outlines of the show were previously reported by Politico and TVNewser.

The four hosts and Steve Friedman, executive producer of “The Cycle,” spoke to The Huffington Post about the show on Thursday afternoon.

Friedman said that plans for the new show began two or three months ago, when Ratigan told MSNBC executives he was thinking of leaving.

“The Cycle” will be an ensemble show; all four hosts will appear every day, with each one taking turns facilitating the discussion. If that sounds like a certain 5 PM Fox News show, the team behind “The Cycle” is well aware of it. In an interview on Thursday, Cupp, Kornacki, Touré and Ball all jokingly pretended not to know what “The Five” is, and Friedman flatly rejected the notion that his new show was derivative.

“When ‘The Five’ started, did you go and ask them if they were doing ‘The View’?” he asked. “When ‘The View’ started, did you ask them if they were doing the ‘Today’ show?”

“The concept of an ensemble show is extraordinarily old,” Touré added.